I'm sure it's all in the presentation.

Pretty much. For certain friends I make sure to get a line in there about how they hope the baby grows up to look just like me.

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I'm sure it's all in the presentation.

Calli, that's hilarious!

Update: I'm finally at work. Bad connection on the battery. Cable thingies are now sparkling clean and car seems to be running fine.

I, however, am not so clean. Someone just pointed out that I missed some grease on my neck. Off to the bathroom to de-grease.

Ginger, I hope this is a quick ick and you're feeling better soon.

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gorgeous prints, Raq!

I would totally bring muffins to sick Ginger, if she were my neighbor...

ETA: glad the car stuff was easily fixed, Nicole.

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Nora, I think your gifts for the new parents are awesome. I'm in awe of your thoughtfulness.

You could also offer to be a source of adult conversation--I've heard that the person who stays home with the baby for the first few months really misses conversations that aren't both one-sided and consisting solely of cooing. While it may take a little while for your neighbors to get to that point, if you start to see it happen you could write a funny little card that says, "I will talk to you whenever you'd like provided the topic of conversation is not breasts, babies, poop as a general concept, detailed descriptions of poop, or any combination thereof."

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While it may take a little while for your neighbors to get to that point, if you start to see it happen you could write a funny little card that says, "I will talk to you whenever you'd like provided the topic of conversation is not breasts, babies, poop as a general concept, detailed descriptions of poop, or any combination thereof."

I think that would have made me feel either slightly insulted or self-conscious. You're 100% right on the need for this:

You could also offer to be a source of adult conversation--I've heard that the person who stays home with the baby for the first few months really misses conversations that aren't both one-sided and consisting solely of cooing.

But getting a note like that would have made me avoid the sender like the plague, or psychologically incapable of discussing anything else when in the sender's presence.

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Smart card, Nora. I should have known you'd have it all covered.

Ginger, I hope you feel better today.

Nicole, glad to hear the car ick was minor.

{{Gud}}

Raq, gorgeous. I'ma have to bookmark that.

Calli made me laugh, which made the babies say, "what? what? what's so funny?" with the suspicious look that means they think I'm laughing at them.

Jen's idea is a good one. I do sometimes think I've forgotten how to talk about anything but babies, cats and diapers. it's a little lowering.

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But getting a note like that would have made me avoid the sender like the plague, or psychologically incapable of discussing anything else when in the sender's presence.

As much as I appreciate and value adult conversation, I would be put off by the suggestion that that was the only thing being offered. New parents are often enamoured by their babies to a serious extent. The need for adult conversation really doesn't come into play for a while after that.

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But getting a note like that would have made me avoid the sender like the plague, or psychologically incapable of discussing anything else when in the sender's presence.

For me, it would depend on the sender. If I'd just been bending his/her ear on the evils of a diaper change after a lactose intolerant child had stolen cheese out of the refrigerator, I would avoid too, like the wind, and for a lonnnnng time. If it were a friend who knows how hard it is to feel like an intelligent adult after extended teletubby time, I would appreciate it. Also would depend on how it was worded.

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Ah, the joys of work politics. I recently got out of a meeting. "Nothing has been decided yet," was the first statement. The rest of the meeting was a discussion about the ways "nothing" would be playing out in the next few months. It could actually end up being kinda cool and stuff. Or it could suck beyond the telling. However, I can rest assured that nothing has been decided yet.

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Well, my conversation ain't much to write home about. Also, we are just getting to know these folks... I want to be gentle (I was a little worried I mighthave been too aggressive with the card even), even though, they do know where we live.

Ooh, maybe I'll see the baby tonight!

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